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From: Anthony Potts <potts@cms.cern.ch>
Subject: Re: Quality of education  Was: ...
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On Fri, 28 Mar 1997, Robert Casey wrote:

> I sometimes confuse and confound some cashiers when I give them a $10
> and a $1 for a bill of $5.75 because I wanted to avoid having 5 singles
> when I leave.  I sometimes have to say that they can give me back a 
> $5 note as part of the change.  They key it in, and sure enough, the
> machine says $5.25 and get a 5 and a quarter for change.  
> 
> Well, what do you want for minimum wage anyway?  
> 
As I've pointed out previously on this thread, customers at my checkout
could quite easily be baffked by quantum physics, relativity, or any
number of mathematical theories, if I had wanted to attempt to belittle
their intelligence.

As it is, if some customer comes through and attempts to make us feel
small we would just remember them (yes, it is possible to remember
customers), and then inexplicably forget the price of several of their
items, and most pointedly mention to them that their recollection of the
price wasn't good enough, and we'd better just check.



Anthony Potts

CERN, Geneva

